2020. New year. New decade.
Historically the onset of a new year brings about short-lived motivation by all, to finally start up those healthy habits you’ve put off until Monday all year. With the motivation typically comes doubt, uneasiness, and often times fear. What is it about becoming a better version of ourselves that is unnerving enough to potentially stop us in our tracks before we even get started?
I read about a writing challenge that construction2style is hosting where you write a blog post every.single.day. for thirty days. Seeing as how I’ve had a blog for just shy of two years and written only tens of articles and only published a handful, let’s just say this challenge seemed incredibly unrealistic for me. Enter: self-doubt. Any other year I feel I would’ve read about it, thought that it would be really great to do, but never actually attempt it chalking it up to “knowing myself” and that I couldn’t (wouldn’t) even come close to accomplishing it.
Somewhere along the way I became complacent. I was content in life and accomplishing..enough, but didn’t have a strong drive I once had. I had good intentions for things I wanted to achieve yet no real action plan for how or when I would actually net results.
Well not this year.
Looking back at all of the social media posts in which people reflect back on their past year (#top9), and now their past ten years, it serves as a powerful visual reminder of being not only intentional with your life, but to always be progressing. I remember looking back a few years ago and thinking, “This year was fun, but no milestones or achievements really stand out.”
This challenge for me is more than just pushing out content (finally), but to push through the feeling of not being ready and doing it anyway. In all areas, and not just my writing.
Disclaimer– my content will include spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and typing flaws. I’m aware of it and now you are too. In the past, those would’ve been excuses I’d give myself to delay hitting the “publish” button. But I’ve come to the realization that it’s difficult to be an outlet for others if there isn’t content for them to access. I have to remind myself that the purpose of my posts and this blog is to be words you can relate to, be a companion to nudge you in the direction to also do the difficult things that in turn make life better. That matters more (to me) than having an error-free post that may or may not get finished.
The hesitation to put yourself out there, to dream bigger, to commit to something despite the hard work that lies ahead, is a fear many of us deal with yet can feel so isolating. If you resonate with this, you’re not alone. BUT– the only real way through it is by taking action, no matter how small. Determine your goal and then each day commit to yourself to accomplish a task that moves you in the right direction.
When next December rolls around, what do you want to be able to look back and say you accomplished this year?
